(Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for The Diplomat's Wife by Pam Jenoff, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its prequel, The Kommandant's Girl. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)
Apparently, I read too many books.
The other day, I was complaining to my husband about my failing memory. My 11-year-old son and I had just come back from a date to the movies to see The Lightning Thief. Unlike my son, I haven't read the whole series yet. I have read the first book, however, so you'd think that when my son exclaimed, "Hey! That wasn't in the book," I would have been able to respond with something more intelligible than, "Really? I mean, I know, right? Where did that come from?" My husband responded to my rambles with a look that had incredulous written all over it. Then he said something along the lines of, "You read like a million books a year. How are you supposed to remember them all?" The man has a point.
Our little discussion made me feel a whole lot better when I opened Pam Jenoff's The Diplomat's Wife and became immediately confused: Who is the main character, Marta Nederman? If you've read Jenoff's first book, The Kommandant's Girl, you may recognize the name, as she was one of its supporting cast members. However, it's been a while since I read the book (um, yeah, like 3 years - you can read my review here), and I couldn't for the life of me remember Marta. Knowing The Diplomat's Wife was a sequel, I was expecting a continuation of Emma's story, which began in The Kommandant's Girl. Naturally, I had to figure out who Marta was before I turned any more pages, so I read back over my review of the first book, skimmed its last chapter and voila! I had my answer (Hint: She's Emma's friend from the Krakow ghetto. She also had a little something to do with the Kommandant's demise.) Having finally gotten my bearings in the story, I was able to relax and enjoy it. Immensely.
When The Diplomat's Wife opens, Marta lies crumpled on the floor of a Nazi prison. Whether her conditions are any better than those of her comrades in the death camps she knows not, but they're plenty bad enough - she's trapped in a cold, rat-infested cell where she's slowly starving to death. The gunshot wound in her side makes movement agonizing, pain that intensifies with regular beatings from the cruel guards. Do what they may, the Nazis will never beat information out of her. She'd rather die than rat out her friends in the Resistance.
Marta assumes she's delirious when a handsome American soldier rescues her from her filthy cell, but when she wakes up in a clean, quiet hospital she realizes that it's true - the camps have been liberated. She's free. Now what? Thanks to the Nazis, she has no friends, no family, no life left for her in Poland. A chance opportunity gets her to England, where she's soon living with a wealthy family and working for Simon Gold, an important diplomat with the British government. When Marta discovers she is pregnant, and that her fiancee has been killed, she marries the bland Simon. Although not passionate, their union is safe and comfortable enough.
Then, comes the assignment that changes everything. It's a dangerous mission, one for which Marta is uniquely qualified. It's supposed to be a simple get-in-get-out operation, but things get very complicated very fast. Suddenly, Marta's thrust back into a world she thought she'd left behind forever. Once again, she's running for her life through cities devastated by war, countries where peace is as tenuous as a cloud, areas where she's hunted by assasins and haunted by memories so heartbreaking they threaten to destroy any shred of sanity she has left. She's desperate to complete her mission, help her homeland and go home to her daughter, but Marta's past and present are on a dangerous collision course, one that will have her questioning everything she's ever known.
At its heart, The Diplomat's Wife is a love story. It's also a gripping tale about the cruelties of war, the audacity of hope, and the dangerous business of rebuilding nations toppled by violence. With romance, suspense, heart-pounding action and vivid historical detail, it's a book that offers something for every kind of reader. It starts slowly, but builds to the kind of nail-biting conclusion that will keep you turning pages well past bedtime. An intense, engrossing novel, it's even richer when coupled with Emma's experieces in The Kommandant's Girl. I highly recommend both books not only for their engrossing plotlines, but also for the honesty, tenderness and knowledge with which Pam Jenoff writes. This is the best kind of historical fiction - exciting, romantic, suspenseful and satisfying. You won't want to miss it.
(Readalikes: The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff; also reminds me of the movie Shining Through)
Grade: A-
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for some language; sexual scenes (although brief and not graphic); and violence
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
(Book image is from Barnes & Noble)
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Check back on March 12 when I review Jenoff's new book, Almost Home, and interview the author.

Sarah Howard is the kind of girl who should be in romance novels. She can easily picture herself

(Note: While this review will contain no spoilers for Hunger by Michael Grant, it may inadvertently mention plot surprises from Gone. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

If things were bleak in the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) before, they're absolutely desperate now. The shelves at Ralph's are empty, killer worms patrol the farmland, and deadly fights are breaking out over one measley piece of beef jerky. With the sadistic Caine temporarily out of the picture, the "townies" are unleashing their fury on each other. An increasingly aggravated Sam gets to hear about every little argument, from quarrels between siblings to fights over food to rumbles about civil war between Freaks and Normals. As if things aren't quite dangerous enough, there seems to be a monster lurking in an abandoned mine shaft just outside of Perdido Beach. A monster of unknown origin who invades kids' minds, bidding them - no, forcing them - to carry out his evil plans.

As things go from bad to worse in Perdido Beach, Sam knows the most important thing is stopping the monster. Caine, Lana and some other kids with important powers seem to be under its control. responding to its frantic plea for "food." Meanwhile, animals and humans are still evolving. Powerless kids are resentful of the "freaks," the "freaks" are being targeted by bullies, and the whole FAYZ is in utter chaos. With no food, no cops, no parents and plenty of pent-up anger, what's to stop the kids from revolting? Can Sam step up and take control or is it simply too much for him this time?

Although Hunger, like its predecessor Gone, features heart-stopping action and engaging characters, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first book. The pacing is a little slower, the story seems a little redundant, and the whole thing's just a little more gory (think of Fido's fate in a community of starving children), a little more disturbing. It's still engaging, just not quite as consumingly so. Like Gone, Hunger is mostly a "clean" book with very little swearing, only a small bit of sexual innuendo and a hopeful tone that helps balance out the bleakness of the situation the characters are facing. Grant does introduce a homosexual relationship in Hunger - while it's a very minor part of the story and not at all graphic, it's still there. Call me a prude, but it's just not something I want to read about. All in all, though, Hunger remains an engrossing, absorbing, multi-layered thrill ride.

I have an ARC of Lies, the next book in the series, that I plan to delve into right after I read some nice, light, happy fiction. The finished book comes out in May. It will be followed by Plague. I'm not sure how long the series will go on, but I'm starting to feel super sorry for the kids caught in the wasteland known as The FAYZ ...

(Readalikes: Gone by Michael Grant, Life As We Knew It and The Dead & the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for mild language, some sexual innuendo, references to homosexuality, violence and adult themes/situations.

To the FTC, with love: I received Hunger from the generous folks at HarperTeen. Thanks!

So, in case you all missed it, Angela Morrison's debut novel, Taken By Storm came out in paperback. The author reached out to book bloggers early on - as a result, look whose quote is featured right inside the front cover. I know - Tim Wynne-Jones! Cool, right? Now, scroll on down the page ... keep going ... keep going ... why yes, that is my name. On a real, live book. Squee! I'll be signing autographs all day today at Border's. Hee hee.

Like I said, Angela's a great friend to bloggers. Plus, she's an exciting new YA author. Show your love by buying this wonderful book (my review is here). Or, sign up to win one of the two copies I'm giving away.

Angela's second novel, Sing Me to Sleep comes out on March 4, so be on the look out for that one as well. You can read my review of the book, see its trailer, and enter to win a copy here.